Mail-bos



J. D. BOLAND.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. I9l3. RENEWED JAN. 11.1916.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916 t) in their) JOHN D. BOLAND, OF DALE, OKLAHOMA.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Application filed September 13, 1913, Serial No. T891573. Renewed January 11, 1818. Serial No. 71,577.

To (6% whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN D. BOLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dale, in the county of Pottawatomie, State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mail boxes and particularly to a type adapted for use in rural service.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a mail box of the character named in which the door is held normally closed and adapted to be opened through the medium of the movement of the vehicle of the mail carrier whereby the collection and delivery of mail matter is greatly facilitated.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mail box constructed in accordance with the invention with the doorin closed position; Fig.2, a view similar to Fig. l with the door of themailbox operated to open position through the medium of the passing of the vehicle of the mail carrier; Fig. 3, a side elevation of what is shown in Fig. 1; Fig. i, a partial side ele vation of what is shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a plan view of what is shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6, a fragmental detail perspective view of the box proper.

Referring to the drawings the device is shown as comprising a standard 10 suitably engaged in the ground at its lower end preferably at one side of the road. Supported on the upper end of the standard is a box 11 having an open end closed by a door 12. This door is normally held in closed position by means of spring 13. Pivotally mounted upon the standard 10 and movable across one side of the box 11 is an arm 1% which carries on the end thereof remote from the pivot of the arm a signal flag 15. The end of the arm 14 adjacent the pivot is provided with an eye 16 through which is slidably' engaged a rod 17. One end of the rod 17 is pivotally connected to the door 12 adjacent the free end of the latter, while the other end of said rod is provided with a laterally directed portion 18 which serves to prevent complete disengagement of the rod 17 from the eye 16 when the door 12 is moved to open position. By this construction it will be apparent that when the door 12 is moved to open position the laterally directed portion 18 will engage the arm 14: and swing same from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4-. When the door 12 is released to closed position the rod 17 will slide freely in the eye 16 so that the arm 14 will be allowed to remain in the position shown in Fig. 4;, the flag 15 in this position of the arm let signaling that mail has been deposited in the box. When such mail is removed the arm 1-1 is manually reset in the position shown in Fig. 3.

Projecting laterally from the standard 10 at the lower end thereof is a rod 19 and pivoted upon this rod is a plate 20 adapted to be engaged by the wheel of the carriers vehicle and operated by the movement of the wheel from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2. The plate 20 is provided with a stud 21 on its inner end and pivotally connected to this stud is one end of a link 22. The other end of this link is pivotally connected to the free end of the door 12 so that when the plate 20 is moved from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2 the door 12 will be opened so that the carrier can gain access to the box without leaving his vehicle. As soon as the plate 20 is relieved of the weight of the vehicle the spring 13 will automatically operate to return the plate 20 and door 12 to the position shown in Fig. 1.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described the combination of a box having one end open, a hinged door for closing said open end, a rod pivotally mounted for movement across one side of the box and carrying a signal device at one end and having an eye provided on its other end, and a second rod slidable in the eye and having one end connected to the door and its other end provided with a lateral projection adapted to engage the first named rod and swing the latter to a position substantially at right angles to the box when the door is opened.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of a box having one end open, a hinged door for closing said open end, a rod pivotally mounted for movement across one side of the box and carrying a signal device at one end and having an eye provided on its other end, a second rod slidable in the eye and having one end connected to the door and its other end provided with a lateral projection adapted to engage the first named rod and swing the latter to a position substantially'at right angles to the box when the door is opened, and means 1 operated by a vehicle moving across the front of the box for actuating said door to open position.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN D. BOLAND. Vitnesses C. \VITTE, H. E. QUINN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

